Tray



June 12, 1934. J. R. EBERHARDT, JR

TRAY

Filed June. 28, 1933 Patented June 12, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to trays and more particularly to a tray especially designed for use by Waiters and others for supporting and carrying liquid containers.

The object of the invention is to provide a comparatively simple and inexpensive tray having a plurality of compartments or cups adapted to receive bottles containing beer, ginger ale or other beverages, whereby to prevent slippage of i the bottles on the tray or breakage of said botties and consequent loss of the contents thereof when a waiter or waitress is delivering an order to a customer.

A further object is to provide a tray, the bottle .receiving compartments or cups of which are formed with vertical beads or corrugations adapted to frictionally engage the walls of a bottle and assist in preventing accidental displacement thereof.

A further object is to provide novel means for holding the bottle supporting plate in the bottom of the tray and means for securing the cups or compartments to said plate.

A still further object of the invention is to generally improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all P the figures of the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a tray embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view illustrating a modified form of the invention.

The improved tray forming the subject matter of the present invention comprises a body portion 5 preferably circular in shape, as shown, but

which may be oval, rectangular or any other de- 9* of course, be understood that the plate 10 will be constructed to fit the particular type of tray on which it is used. Formed in the plate 10 are a plurality orcircular openings 11 and fitted in said openings are upstanding collars 12 which form cups or compartments adapted to receive bottles of beer, ginger ale or other beverages, indicated at 13. The upper walls of the collars 12 are preferably bent laterally to form reinforcing flanges 13 while the lower ends of the collars are curved laterally and upwardly to form hooked terminals 14 adapted to engage downwardly extending hooked terminals 15 which surround the walls of each opening 11, as shown. The hooked terminals 14 and 15 interengage and the metal at said terminals is pressed together to form a .crimped joint entirely surrounding each cup, as shown, and which serves to securely retain the cups in position on the supporting plate 10. It Will here be noted that the crimps formed by the interengaging parts 14 and 15 project above the upper surface of the plate 10 so that the lower surface of the plate is smooth and unobstructed throughout its length and bears flat against the adjacent surface of the bottom 8 of the tray. The metal constituting the walls of the collars 12 is bent or pressed inwardly to form spaced vertical ribs or corruations 16 adapted to frictionally engage the walls of the bottles 13 and assist in preventing accidental displacement of the bottles.

In assembling the device, the collars 13 are fitted in the openings 11 and the interengaging hooks 14 and 15 pressed or clamped together so as to form a tight joint, after which the plate with the collars or cups in position thereon is placed on the bottom of the tray and the metal at the flange 6 bent or crimped inwardly to form the retaining rib 9 which overhangs and frictionally engages the peripheral edge of the plate 10 and serves to securely hold the plate with the cups in position thereon within the tray.

The bottom of the tray is preferably crimped or corrugated, as indicated at 17, to present a roughened surface for contact with the hand of a Waiter when delivering goods to a customer.

In using the device, the bottles are inserted 7 within the cups and pressed downwardly therein until the bottoms of the bottles rest on the bottom of the tray, and as the bottles are pressed within the cups, the ribs 16 will irictionally engage the bottles and assist in holding the bottles within the cups. It will, of course, be understood that as many bottle receiving cups or compartments may be provided as is found desirable or necessary and that instead of supporting bottles within thecups, said cups may be used for receiving glasses or steins of beer, if desired. If preferred, instead of making the container receiving cups separate and subsequently fastening said cups to the plate 19 by a crimp joint, said cups may be formed integral with the plate 10 by spinning or pressing the metal upwardly around the openings therein, as indicated at 17 in Figure 3 of the drawing. In this form of the invention the height of the cups will preferably be less than the cups shown in Figure 1, and said cups may be formed either with or without the vertical ribs or corrugations, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will thus be seen that the cups or compartments securely hold the bottles in position and that slippage of the bottles on the tray or accidental breakage of said bottles incident to said slippage, and consequent loss of the contents of the bottles, is effectually prevented.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A tray having an inwardly extended circumferential retaining bead, a plate resting on the bottom of the tray with its peripheral edge extending beneath the bead, and container receiving collars carriedby the plate and having their walls corrugated to form ribs adapted to frictionally engage the containers.

2. A tray having an inwardly extended circumferential retaining bead, a plate supported on the bottom of the tray beneath said retaining bead and having a plurality of openings therein the walls of which are bent downwardly, and collars fitting within the openings and constituting bottle receiving cups, the lower ends of the collars being bent upwardly and interengaged with the downwardly bent walls of the openings in the plate.

3. A tray having the lower surface of its bottom roughened and its circumferential edge bent inwardly to form a retaining bead, a plate resting on the bottom and fitting beneath the retaining bead, said plate being provided with a plurality of openings extending entirely therethrough, upstanding collars having their lower ends fitted within the openings and interengaged with the walls of said openings and their upper ends bent laterally to form reinforcing flanges, said collars constituting cups adapted to receive liquid containers, the walls of the collars being pressed inwardly to form spaced vertical ribs adapted to frictionally engage the walls of the liquid containers. 

